family fun – Lubbocks Home and Family Magazine

Spring Family Fun

Courtney Dietz — Sun, 30 Apr 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Spring Family Fun

Maggi Gallaspy

Walk through a pasture of steel giants, see Lubbock’s most iconic glasses, sit back and relax while children explore a whole new imaginative world, allow butterflies to rest gently on your shoulders, step into the wild West and experience the life of a World War II fighter pilot. These one-of-a-kind experiences are available with a trip to one of Lubbock’s premier museums.

Whether you’re searching for a place to spend a rainy day, just want to get out of the house or have a few history buffs around, taking advantage of the cultural exhibits in these six museums is a great way to spend a spring or summer day.

An extensive look at Lubbock’s museum scene, this list features family-friendly museums with activities for every age.

American Windmill Museum

The largest windmill museum in the world, this plot of Lubbock land is filled with refurbished structures as far as the eyes can see. Open Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., choose between a leisurely stroll through the property and a guided tour if you have a group of 6 or more.

According to the American Windmill Museum website, admission is $7.50 for adults, $5.00 for children 5 to 12 years old, under 5 free, $6.00 for seniors 60+ and veterans, $20.00 for a family of 4 (2 adults & 2 children). Active Duty Military and their household family are admitted free with a Military I.D.

For a unique summer experience, the American Windmill Museum will host a summer art camp from June 5th to July 28th. Kids aged 5 and up are welcome and registration is $130 per week, per student if you are a member of the museum, $150 for non-members.

Buddy Holly Center

Known as the place where art and music collide, the Buddy Holly Center displays and interprets artifacts that pay tribute to musicians of West Texas, most notably Lubbock’s most famous native son, Buddy Holly. Before you step inside, check out the iconic statue of the music legend outside the museum.

Entry into the museum is $10 for general admission, $8 for senior citizens (60+), $5 for children 7-17, $5 for college students with an ID and free to children six and under, museum members and active duty military. If you’re just stopping by for the Fine Arts Gallery, admission is free to all.

This summer, the Buddy Holly Center is hosting a showcase concert series! Every Thursday from May 18 to August 17, local and regional bands will perform across many genres. The concerts will run from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. and are free for all to enjoy. Access to food trucks, a cash bar and free children’s activities will be available! A full concert lineup can be found on the Buddy Holly Center website.

Play Street Museum

This educational play space is a great way to keep your kids entertained during the summer! With a town square and interactive exhibits, kids are free to use their imaginations and creatively play, discover and problem-solve.

Located on Slide road, this museum is in a great location to catch lunch at Blue Sky Texas and fill up on homemade burgers, house-cut fries and perfectly breaded mozzarella sticks. When you leave, swing by another local favorite, J’s Creamery for a sweet treat for you and the kiddos!

Before heading over for a day of adventure, make a reservation ahead of time. Slots are available Monday to Friday 8:30 – 10:00 a.m., 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 pm, 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. and 3:30 – 5:00 p.m. Book on the PSM Lubbock website.

Science Spectrum

The Science Spectrum and Omni Theater have amazing activities for families with younger kids, and the museum features many interactive exhibits, including the Butterflies Alive! event returning March 11 and running through the end of June.

Learn about the magic of bubbles, explore the Children’s Museum, visit the Gallery of Flight, watch a live animal show and more with entry to the museum.

For combo tickets to the museum and theater, prices are $14.50 for adults, $12 for children and seniors and $6.50 for members.

The museum is open Monday to Saturday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Sunday 1 to 5 p.m.

Be on the lookout for special summer camp details coming soon to their website.

National Ranching Heritage Center

For all things wild west, travel back in time with a stop by the National Ranching Heritage Center. This 27-acre museum and the historical park can be toured by a trolley every Thursday at 10:30 a.m.

With educational programs and exhibits about ranching history and contemporary ranching issues, the museum is home to over 50 historical structures that were once in use.

The NRHC is always cooking up something new, and a comprehensive list of events can be found on its website. This summer, they are hosting a Summer Stampede. An art and gear show showcasing western artists and gear makers, tickets are now available to purchase. The event includes live music by Jake Hooker and the opportunity to view and purchase art. Proceeds benefit the museum!

Even though we covered five of Lubbock’s top-tier museums, this list is only the beginning. We hope this serves as an inspiration to help you research and decide which Lubbock treasure you want to explore!

Way to make Winter more fun

Courtney Dietz — Sat, 31 Dec 2022 06:00:00 +0000

Way to make Winter more fun

Coco Dietz

When most people think of winter activities, images of snowball fights, building a snowman sledding, or skiing will probably flash through your head. But if you are in a part of the country that does not see a great deal of snow, and instead, see more ice, that might be where the ideas come to a close. With these fun activities to try, you will be having a blast no matter the amount of snow on the ground this winter!

Host a indoor board game tournament

Invite all of your friends over to play games and get everyone together to play a tournament. Make a tournament board to see who will compete with who and get everyone excited to play and spend time together. You might consider having a prize for the winner of the tournament to add extra incentive and build that competition between your friends. Winter does not have to stop all games.

Playing with the West Texas Ice

Since ice is the main precipitation that we get this time of year, we might as well lean into the greatest winter strength this part of the state has to offer and have some fun with it! Get a medium size bowl and pour some water in it, add some food coloring of your choice and then, using a funnel, pour the water mixture into a balloon. After tying it off, set it outside and wait for it to freeze. Once completely frozen solid, cut off the balloon and you now have an ice orb for outside decoration while the air is still freezing!

Fun for Kids of All Ages

Courtney Dietz — Sat, 31 Dec 2022 06:00:00 +0000

Fun for Kids of All Ages

Coco Dietz

The possibility of sending the kids outside is slowly getting less and less plausible as the temperatures keep dropping and the ice keeps stacking on top of itself. While having your kids trapped in the house with you can sound fun for the first day, it can quickly decrease in its popularity as the kids’ energy keeps growing and the house starts to feel mousy as the days continue. Having fun things planned for the whole family can help to get that energy out and have some family fun indoors where it is nice and warm.

Family Baking!

While baking as a family can seem like a daunting task (too many cooks in the kitchen might chime in your head), setting aside the mess and the possibility of an over-stimulating experience, this could be a fun time to teach your kids how to bake while making a delicious treat that everyone will enjoy! Kids look up to and mimic their parents; they are sure to love the chance to get to do what they have watched their parents do all their lives. Don’t forget about family clean up, too! Cleaning up is no one’s favorite chore. But put on some fun music and have a family dance party as you clean up. Or you can create a game out of the clean up time. Who can put up the most dishes? Who is the best dish scrubber? The one who wins gets to eat the treat you just created together first!

Family hide and go seek with a twist.

Kids play games all the time but the only thing they probably do not do as often is get the chance to play games that they play with their peers with their parents. It can be a very fun experience to see your parents play with you like your friends do. Consider turning your house into a playground for the afternoon. Make the kitchen the safe zone and play a big game of hide and go seek with nerf guns. Instead of tagging the other players you have to hit them with your nerf gun, unless they make it to the safe zone. A fun time for kids of all ages.